1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the management of a remote application connection to a data source. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing a system and method for improving the connection of a plurality of remote applications to a database across the Internet.
2. Relevant Technology
Databases are computerized information storage and retrieval systems. A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a database system which uses relational techniques for storing and retrieving data. Relational databases are organized into tables consisting of rows and columns of data. A database typically includes many tables, and each table includes multiple rows and columns. The tables are conventionally stored in direct access storage devices (DASD), such as magnetic or optical disk drives, for semi-permanent storage.
Generally, users communicate with an RDBMS using a Structured Query Language (SQL) interface. The SQL interface allows users to create, manipulate, and query a database by formulating relational operations on the tables, either interactively, in batch files, or embedded in host languages such as C and COBOL. SQL has evolved into a standard language for RDBMS software and has been adopted as such by both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO).
A common application for databases relates to their interaction with Internet web browsers. A remote application such as a web browser may be used to query data from a data base. The data may then be used to create a table or other display of information on the web browser. This requires the transfer of data files and the formatting of data on the web browser. As the database is responsive to SQL and a web browser requires an HTML format, an interface module is required to enable interaction between the web browser and the database. One example of such an interface module is Net.Data available from IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y.
Net.Data enables Internet and Intranet access to relational data on a variety of platforms. Net.Data incorporates a marcrolanguage which supports both HTML and SQL and allows for interaction with universal web browsers and relational database systems. Net.Data operates in conjunction with a web server interface and supports client-side processing as well as server-side processing with languages such as Java, REXX, Perl and C++. Net.Data provides database connectivity to a variety of data sources including information stored in relational databases, flat files Java files, Perl files and the like.
Net.Data may support a variety of operating systems, including OS/2, AIX, Windows NT, HP-UX, Solaris, SCO, OS/390 and OS/400. Net.Data is further able to cache web pages to improve application performance, particularly when repeated requests are made for the same web page. Although this invention is compatible for use with an interface module such as Net.Data, other common gateway interface applications may be used with the present invention as well.
The interface module, which may be resident on a server, receives a query from a web browser, formats the query into SQL, and interacts with the database to receive data and create the table or other display of information. The interface module then uses its macrolanguage to resent the data to the web browser in HTML format. The web browser, in turn, displays the data to a user of the remote application. In this manner, the interface module serves as an Internet gateway for accessing a database. However, every time the interface module connects to the database, requests a connection set up for the database, or sends a query to get data results from the data base, the interface must perform a set of time-consuming processes such as initialization, authorization, password confirmation, and the like. These processes can be time consuming, slowing down the entire system and process.
One attempt to overcome the problem of slower connections was to create a database manager to assist in synchronizing the connection of the interface modules with various ports of the database. However, in order to accommodate numerous web browsers, multiple applications of an interface module may be running, which may complicate the system. With increased use and complication, the system may be difficult to debug when a problem arises. Additionally, because everything runs through a connection manager, there are often miscommunications, synchronization problems, and bottlenecks between the user applications and the database.
If other databases were static and the data source became inactive or went down for whatever reason, the data manager would not be able to tell when the data source became active again. Thus, subsequent queries would still detect an inactive data source. In order to establish another connection with the data source, the whole system would have to be reinitialized. In situations where the data manager managed multiple users, this reinitialization would affect remote users whose connection to a data base was functioning normally.
Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a system and method for connecting a plurality of remote applications with a data source in a simplified way.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide such a system and method which would remove the likelihood of bottleneck by removing the necessity of routing every communication between the interface module and data source through the connection manager.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide such a system and method that was dynamic and reliable and did not have to reinitialize if the data source became inactive or “went down.”
Such an apparatus and method in accordance with the present invention is disclosed and claimed herein.